1x8800gtx V.S. 2x8800gts - & PSU Watt Needed Question

[TrECeNTeRs]

Hey guy's its been a long time sence I have had to come here for help and I apreciate the help all of you put into this forum!


I see that the GTX are almost twice the price of the GTS this is going by the cheapest deals at a site I am sure you all know. Not saying I would buythe cheapest brands of theese cards just usen it as a price example.

$ 548.00 - geforce 8800 gtX
$ 289.00 - geforce 8800 gtS

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Question
So the question is would I be better off in speed and processing power if I went with Two of the GTS's .. -OR- Does the GTX hold some signifigance to where One Single GTX by its self is better then having Two GTS's SLI'd?
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I am not really planning on waiting for the prices to drop and I am only willing to spend a certain ammount of money on them... An theres no way I can afford to SLI two of the GTX's.

So if the GTX is just that expencive because its More New. I don't want anything to do with it. I only upgrade mycomputer stuff once every few years and try to make the most of the money that I have to blow on this expencive stuff.



Also..... I have heard Antec are a really nice PSU. I have one that is a Antec TruePower Trio 550. I have always heard most other psu's lie and add thier rails togeather. ex. Genaric 550 watt PSU 2 rail's with only 225 watts on each rail. So it may as well be a 225 watt. Where I hear that Antec TruePower Trio 550 has 550 watts on each rail. which would be equal to any Genaric 1k Watt PSU. This is just all hearsay from what I have heard in the past on here by someone. No idea if its ture.


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Question:
The question is would the Antec TruePower Trio 550 run Two of the GTS's if I had them in SLI mode? If you don't think so what PSU would you suggest to buy to be able to run SLI'd cards and one with a decent warrenty like Antec has?
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Question(s):
What 2 crossfire cards would match to the 2 8800GTS's when SLI'd???

I hear the Crossfires use alot more PSU power which has been hearsay also to me sence I have not kept up with parts to well for the past year or two. Is that True also???





I am really looking for fact's more then opinion's also because I know how many people have diffrent opinions. If anyone has any spec sheets of this I would apreciate it also.


Thanks So much for your time to read and answer. I apreciate this forum more then I do sliced bread!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Night!



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EDIT

I read the "why the video card market sucks" post and really I don't care about the Directx10 stuff and how the card doesnt do good with it. I am sure by the time a true dx10 game is released it will be time to throw in the towel for the 8800 series anyways.

I am about over most games now days also I like to play Second Lifebecause I make money there... The money that is buyen my new computer stuff to be exact. An to run Second Life "which runs 100%" cpu at all times cept when minimised. I plan to atleast get a dual core if not better. I'll save that for a diffrent post in another catagory though.

For now I just wan the raw speed and power and want to know whats best for my buck.

 

[zagood]

2x8800GTS (640mb version) will beat a single 8800GTX in raw speed.
2x8800GTS (320mb version) will be the same or worse than the GTX...you're still limited to 320mb of video ram.

SLI consumes more power.

I assume you're looking at the 320mb version because of the price you listed. If that's what you're looking at, the GTX is your best bet.

I think that the Trio 550w will run a GTX but would be light for SLi. I'd still recommend you get a better PSU though.

EDIT: you were looking for numbers...
http://www.hothardware.com/art...ormance_Update/?page=2

-z

 

[TrECeNTeRs]

I remember having a Nvidia GF 5600 "512MB Ram" . Then I got a GF 5200 (Ultra) "256 Ram" .

The Ultra pretty much owned it ... I had always heard games don't use that much video ram and you really only needed the 512mb if you are usen CAD or some crap.

I never seen the 512mb in that card help me load up anything faster and all games clocked better on the 5200 ulta with only 256mb ram.

I dunno maybe its changed and matters alot more now then it did during the FX series.

Higher ram in the GTS is gonna run you somewhere aroud a hundred bucks extra for the extra ram in each card...

So anyways if having that extra video ram matters more now days don't the ram and gpu speed get doubled in SLI??? meaning GTS = (1280MB ram) & (1000 clock speed) in SLI mode?

Or do they not get used togeather in applications?


Even if they don't get used togeather in a game something tells me the way I use a PC where I use 2 monitors and play a virtual reality game on one and do photoshop and ad art on the other monitor that the 2 GTS's would somehow do better for me... Kiinda like dual core would be.

*confused*
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EDIT UPDATE


A Buddy just told me I can mix and match theese cars ... did not know that ... i think i may get one and just wait for a gtx to get down to the gts price ... "t is dropping anyways"....

 

[TanisHalfElven]

the 8800gts is fast enough to use the extra 320mb on the 640 version. i know cuz i had a 320 mb 8800gts it was bottlnecked by memory. i couldn't run high AA or high res textures and thats at 12x10.

 

[TrECeNTeRs]

Yes, its been forever sence I have even messed with a buyen pc stuff.

The last thing I did was buy a "mobile amd2600" cause it can oc awsome in a rig and nf2 abit an a x800se which finnaly turned into a x800xt plat cause i had no idea se was "sh*t edition"


I think I will just get the one GTS for now. I also didnt know till late last night though a chat I had that you can mix and match theese cards. Most of my problems so far have been multi tasking with a game on anyway. Its been due to the CPU more then anything I believe. Now I gotta figure out whats the goin thing in cpu/MB.. dual core / quad core ..




Thanks guys I apreciate you all !!!

 

[swtethan]

how do you make $$$ from second life?i would like to know

 

[TrECeNTeRs]

They have a system where you can build stuff .. and you import textures to go onto the shapes you make .. they have thier own phisics system with scripting .. and you use scripts to make objects do stuff. So you can make and do anything its a virtual world where anything is possible. You can even create games inside of it if you are smart.


My favorite thing is to build cars.


I am Tre Ceres and my shop is called Midnight Drift...

IM me on there and mention Anandtech and I will give you a nissan Skyline and some cool gear and clothes to start you off!

BTW the game is free...

 

[TheSlamma]

Originally posted by: zagood
2x8800GTS (640mb version) will beat a single 8800GTX in raw speed.
2x8800GTS (320mb version) will be the same or worse than the GTX...you're still limited to 320mb of video ram.

zagood has a great point here. The 320MB isn't enough now anyway, Company of Heroes DX10 has proven that 320meg is already going to get run over soon. If you want high detail in Crysis and other DX10 titles you want Vid RAM.

 

[TrECeNTeRs]

Originally posted by: TheSlamma

Originally posted by: zagood
2x8800GTS (640mb version) will beat a single 8800GTX in raw speed.
2x8800GTS (320mb version) will be the same or worse than the GTX...you're still limited to 320mb of video ram.

zagood has a great point here. The 320MB isn't enough now anyway, Company of Heroes DX10 has proven that 320meg is already going to get run over soon. If you want high detail in Crysis and other DX10 titles you want Vid RAM.

Wow... Such a change in need back during the fx series I think it was even this forum that was telling me games only use between the 128 and 256mb. Even got one guy telling me I was so stupid for getting a 5600 with the 512MB on it.

Times have changed looks like I sure am glad I don't care about running the aa and af in games like I use to such an expencive habbit. I have a buddy offering me a free x850 plat to use. I kinda wonder if I shouldnt just get it and wait even longer sence I have really no games that have caught my intrest that need such gfx yet.

Saving my money for later is the hard part!